After retiring its number 12 in February 2020, Murray State University has once again retired its number 12. Yes Morant in the spotlight. On Saturday, the Grizzlies point guard was inducted into the Racers Hall of Fame for his entire body of work during the two seasons that allowed him to take flight, from 2017 to 2019. What's next? A second-place finish in the Draft, a second exceptional season, and then, for the past 18 months, a descent into hell between his injuries and his extra-sporting slip-ups, as well as suspensions.
It is therefore with great pride but also a lot of humility that Ja Morant experienced his return to his roots these last three days. First with a two-day basketball camp, Wednesday and Thursday, surrounded by 300 young people, and then this ceremony, in front of a full house. In the stands, the presence of his family, his former teammates, his former coach Matt McMahon, but also the coach and GM of the Grizzlies, Taylor Jenkins and Zach Kleiman, all came to celebrate Ja Morant the exceptional basketball player that he knew how to be during these two seasons.
He thanks those who have always supported him
“I want to thank all the fans, and all the people who came here to support me on this special night, not only for me but also for my family. I really appreciate it, after the events that happened, and that everyone knows. Each of you could have made this choice, to continue to support me or not. And to see you all here, it really means a lot to me.”, he declared at the podium.
This stay, punctuated by this induction into the Hall of Fame of his alma mater, also allowed him to recharge his mental batteries and to remember his career and what he did well.
At this stage, with a view to his return to play next October, this is perhaps the most important thing.
“I came in as an outsider, someone who didn’t have a lot of spotlight, and I was able to use the skills that God gave me to work on my game. To become the player that I am, to have those moments where I can impact these kids, to do things that I never thought I would do in my life. It’s something to be proud of. And I don’t say it often, but now, in my life, I’m kind of proud of myself.”, he had confided earlier in the week.
| Yes Morant | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | SAME | 67 | 31 | 47.7 | 33.5 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 17.8 |
| 2020-21 | SAME | 63 | 33 | 44.9 | 30.3 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2021-22 | SAME | 57 | 33 | 49.3 | 34.4 | 76.1 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 27.4 |
| 2022-23 | SAME | 61 | 32 | 46.6 | 30.7 | 74.8 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 26.2 |
| 2023-24 | SAME | 9 | 35 | 47.1 | 27.5 | 81.3 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 25.1 |
| Total | 257 | 32 | 47.2 | 31.8 | 75.5 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 22.5 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
